Constitution Alive – A Citizen Guide To The Constitution Part One

Constitution Alive – A Citizen Guide To The Constitution Part One: Today is part one of a four part series we’re bringing to you this week. This is going to be an opportunity to really dive into the Constitution and walk through it clause by clause, article by article, section by section. We’ll be looking for those areas in the Constitution that are our responsibility to do something! Tune in now for more!

Transcription note: As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith And The Culture

Welcome to the intersection of faith and politics. This is WallBuilders Live with David Barton and Rick Green. We appreciate you joining us today.

Be sure to visit online at WallBuilders.com and also WallBuildersLive.com.

We’re going to do a four part series this week on Constitution Alive. You’ve probably seen this on our website or are on Glenn Beck’s program and other media around the country. But it’s an opportunity to really dive into the Constitution and walk through clause by clause, article by article, section by section, and look for those areas in the Constitution that are our responsibility to do something.

And we thought we’d do this in a fun way. We actually, when we created this program, part of the program is done in the room in Independence Hall where the Constitution was actually framed, where the Declaration was put together, and it’s where they debated these things. So, we actually went to that room, we do most of the teaching from there.

But then we did a really cool thing and right from the library at WallBuilders. The WallBuilders library, you’ve heard so much about, you’ve read about, you’ve seen in our different videos, and publications, all these original documents that David Barton, has just phenomenal information.

So, we decided if we were going to study the Constitution we wanted to study the original intent of the Constitution and to do that we had to go to the original source of the Founding Fathers. So, we do that in David Barton’s library and it was so exciting to get to sit there with David, and ask him questions, and pull out documents off the shelves, and go through these great questions about the foundations of America. And we put that into Constitution Alive and we want to share that with you our listeners.

Obviously, it’s a– well, not obviously, if you’ve seen it, it’s an extensive series. It’s about twelve hours of material, we can’t do the whole thing on radio here, but we want to give you a taste of it. So, this week we’re going to give you the first section of Constitution Alive, segment one, where we essentially introduce the program. Wealth of information that the David shares in this introduction that we wanted to bring to you our listeners.

Why Spend So Much Time In The Past?

Rick:

So, over the next four days you’re going to get to hear that and get a great taste of what this program’s all about. It will educate you, it will inspire you, it’ll give you the information and ammunition you need to help restore America’s Constitution. So, we’re going to go to Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green.

Welcome the Constitution Alive the citizen’s guide to America’s founding documents. We are here in one of the most amazing libraries on the planet with one of the foremost experts on the Founding Fathers and our founding documents – David Barton. David, thanks so much for having us here.

David:

Hey, good to be here, Rick. Thanks for having me, bro.

Rick:

So, why do you dive into so much history? Why spend so much time in the past?

David:

The reason we do that is because we have been the most successful nation in the history of the world to this point. And there’s a reason for that. You can’t change the formula and expect to get the same results–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–whether it’s Coke, or Pepsi, or anything else. So, it’s important to know the formula and that’s what the history does. There’s actually a great quote from a guy named George Mason. There’s fifty five guys who actually helped write the Constitution. Thirty nine of them signed that document, Mason did not sign the document. He was there, he was very active ,very strong part, he actually went home after the Constitution to satisfy some things and he stirred up some things across America that really produced the Bill of Rights.

George Mason

David:

So, that’s why we call him the Father of the Bill of Rights. He thought the Constitution did not go far enough in protecting individual liberties.

Rick:

But he influenced both.

David:

He influenced both.

Rick:

So, he was really involved in the Constitution–

David:

He was very involved.

Rick:

–and then later in getting the Bill of Rights.

David:

He was very involved in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And significantly, he owns another notable title in that if you go back to when we signed the Declaration of Independence, we think of that’s when we separated from Great Britain – not so. Virginia actually separated from Great Britain before they signed the Declaration.

So, George Mason is the guy who is a chief author of the 1776 Virginia Constitution where they separated. Now, that Virginia Constitution 1776 doc, really cool document here. Jefferson used a lot of the language that Mason had used in that 1776 Constitution later used in the Declaration of Independence. So, Mason has a big influence.

Keeping Going Back To Fundamental Principles

David:

But he made a statement that is so profound. They included it in that Virginia Constitution and they’ve still preserved it to this day and it’s a great statement. Here’s what he said, he says, “No free government, nor the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.” And the emphasis there is you keep going back to fundamental person.

Now, you’re a baseball guy and that’s why you do spring training every year.

Rick:

Right. You’re going back to those basic skills that you learned.

David:

I was a basketball coach. We do basketball camps every year. I’ve had the kids for a number of years. We keep going back to the fundamentals. Back–

Rick:

So, this is the training camp.

David:

This is the training camp.

Rick:

This is history that’s in this room. We’re going back to those fundamental principles.

David:

We’re going back. And our objective with what we want to do, our objective is really well stated by John Jay. John Jay became the original Chief Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. But at the time they wrote the Constitution, he and James Madison and Alexander Hamilton did the Federalist Papers. And that was to explain to America what the Constitution was all about. So, he’s really one of the three guys most responsible for the adoption of the Constitution through his Federalist Papers.

But as a constitutional guy himself who helped write the best commentary on it there is, the Federalist Papers–

Rick:

Yeah.

Teach The Rising Generation To Be Free

David:

He had a great statement on why we study this type of stuff. And this is the statement he made. He said, “Every member of the state ought diligently to read and to study the Constitution of his country and teach the rising generation to be free.” Now, it’s interesting, he relates being free to knowing the Constitution. You ought to know the Constitution and teach the next generation if you intend to be free. He says, “By knowing their rights they will sooner perceive when they’re violated and be the better prepared to defend and assert them.”

Now, that’s really the objective of what we’re doing with all these next lessons that come on. And there are six verbs that he has in there that will be really the guideline for what every citizen needs to shoot for. So, the six verbs–

Rick:

So, this really drives everything we do.

David:

This drives our course.

Rick:

This is our outline.

David:

This is our outline. He says, “First, you want to read the Constitution of your country. You want to read and study it. It’s one thing to read, it’s another thing to study it.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, read is like a quick perusal, but study is get to know it. And then he says, and then you want to be able to teach it. You want to be able to take the next generation and say, “Hey, guys, here’s what you need to know. Here’s the document you need to know, here’s the principles, this is what will keep you free. And this is the formula that’s produced American success.”

The Difference Between Defend and Assert

David:

Then he says when you do that then you’ll know your rights and when you know your rights you’ll perceive when they’re being violated and then you’ll be prepared to defend and to assert them. And there’s a big difference between defend and assert. Defend is on defense. I’ll defend my rights. Assert them is I’m going on offense to make sure I defend your rights.

Rick:

We need to do more of it.

David:

And that’s what we need.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

Too many people say, “That’s not constitutional.” You need to go assert what is constitutional.

We have a good friend that’s in the military. He’s a doctor at the National War College there in Washington D.C. and that’s where they train the best and brightest military guys not just how to conduct wars, but how to win wars. And there’s a famous course they did, the nine principles of war.

Bring A Speaker To Your Area

Tim:

Hey, this is Tim Barton with WallBuilders. And as you’ve had the opportunity to listen to WallBuilders Live, you’ve probably heard a wealth of information about our nation, about our spiritual heritage, about the religious liberties, and about all the things that make America exceptional.

And you might be thinking, “As incredible as this information is, I wish there was a way that I could get one of the WallBuilders guys to come to my area and share with my group.”

Whether it be a church, whether it be a Christian school, or public school, or some political event, or activity, if you’re interested in having a WallBuilders speaker come to your area, you can get on our website at www.WallBuilders.com and there’s a tab for scheduling. If you’ll click on that tab, you’ll notice there’s a list of information from speakers bio’s, to events that are already going on. And there’s a section where you can request an event, to bring this information about who we are, where we came from, our religious liberties, and freedoms. Go to the WallBuilders website and Bring a speaker to your area.

The Nine Principles Of War

David:

And in the nine principles of war he points out that defense is not one of the nine principles of war.

Rick:

Yeah, offence.

David:

He says defense is considered a temporary condition whereby you reorganize to go back on offense.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

You don’t win wars being on defense, you win them being on offense. So, in this culture war, this war for the future of our country, you’ve got to be on offense. You can’t just Rick:

If his is the formula, if that’s what’s going to keep us free, this part is where we’re really losing out teaching the rising generation to be free.

David:

That’s right.

Rick:

If we don’t have a good education system, if we’re not teaching what’s in this room, we’re losing the formula.

Not Getting Our Money’s Worth

David:

Well, you look at the education system, let’s just be real blunt – we spend up to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars over the educational course of a kid to go to school for 12 years.. We’re not getting our money’s worth.

Rick:

Yeah. And that’s in some of our less expensive districts.

David:

Well, that’s right. That’s the average nationally–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

— so it’s going to be up or down in some. Washington D.C. is way more than that.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, it depends on the district you’re in. But what we know is that every state constitution says that the purpose of public education is to prepare active and informed citizens.

Rick:

So, we started those education systems to do exactly what Jay is saying here.

David:

But what we know right now is if you look at recent elections, those who have gone through our public education system, you’re looking right now at 70 percent that do not know the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

Rick:

Wow.

David:

So–

Rick:

So, we’re definitely failing–

David:

We’re failing.

Do You Think We’re failing?

Rick:

–at teaching the rising generation.

David:

You’re looking at 65 percent that cannot even tell you what the role of the judiciary is. That’s one of the three branches. As a matter of fact, speaking of one of the three branches, 62 percent of those who have gone through public education cannot even name the three branches of government.

Rick:

More than half and they can’t–

David:

More than half.

Rick:

So, you definitely don’t know what those branches are supposed to do if you don’t even know what they are.

David:

Forty eight percent of elected officials cannot name the three branches of government.

Rick:

That’s half of our actual public servants in office.

David:

Half the people.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

If you don’t know the three branches, you don’t know checks and balances, you don’t know functions, you don’t know what the Constitution– and that’s why you read and study the Constitution, you teach it to the rising generation.

One, Two, Three

Rick:

Well, maybe they devalue what is in here because they think, “Look, this is old stuff.” I hear that all the time. “Oh, that’s two hundred years old, doesn’t apply today, why should I pay attention to all this stuff that happened two hundred years ago?” And let me just one more time hit this because this is our objective and we’re going to look at all this stuff.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, number one, read the Constitution. Two – study the Constitution. Three – teach the Constitution – especially to the rising generation. But maybe to the burger flippers beside you, maybe to the mechanics in the shop where you work–

Rick:

Not only the next generation – your generation.

David:

Because we’re at a point now where public education has not taught. So, we’ve got to just teach the Constitution. But once we do that we want to know our constitutional rights, we want to defend our constitutional rights, and assert constitutional rights.

Now, that’s what we’re after. But you’ve raised the issue up, you know, it’s a really old document, and we hear that. Because the Founding Fathers, when they did this Constitution, they didn’t have internet. The fastest transportation they had was horses.

Rick:

No airplanes. Yeah.

David:

So, what can we– I’ve been involved in a number of court cases, state and federal courts, on issues of history original intent. And one of those issues is the issue of the Ten Commandments. Because for generations in America you’re more likely to find a copy of the Ten Commandments hanging in a civic building than any religious building. And that’s just the way it was. The Ten Commandments are considered the foundation of law.

So Open Minded Their Brains Fall Out

David:

So, in so many of these places where the Ten Commandments has been hanging there’s now lawsuits saying, “Oh, you can’t do that. That’s religious. You have to take that down.”

So, in going through and telling the judge, “No, here’s the first law book in America, it goes back to the code of 1650, and it quotes the Ten Commandments all the way through. You go through and show how it influenced. Well, these judges wanting to be a lot more open minded, if you will, so open minded their brains fall out.

But nonetheless, some of the comments they make is, “Well, it would be constitutional if you were to include other legal documents that influenced America as well. Not just the Ten Commandments. And so many of them said, for example, include the code of Hammurabi. Now–

Rick:

Because that influenced–

David:

Well, see that’s a point–

Rick:

–America? Where do they even get that?

David:

The Code of Hammurabi is 300 years older than the Ten Commandments. Now, the Code of Hammurabi, according to these judges, that’s a document that influenced American law, influenced the creation of our legal system, therefore we ought to show it along with the Ten Commandments. The Code of Hammurabi is a real problem with these guys because they’ve just proven they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about, is it was not discovered until 1904. I don’t think that quite made the Founding Fathers–

Rick:

Unless they had a time machine, came forward, checked it out, and went back, that’s kind of– yeah.

The Code Of Hammurabi

David:

But see, here– and you’re talking about the Constitution written 200 years ago and how old it is. The difference is the Code of Hammurabi, it’s got two hundred and eighty two laws. That was what governed Babylonian civilization. This was 300 years before Moses got the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. So, let me just show you some of the laws out of that code and let’s just see how they’d work today. Let me go to number two law in the Code of Hammurabi.

Rick:

Alright.

David:

“If anyone bring an accusation against a man and the accused go to the river and leap in the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house.” Now, I’m not quite sure the context of that.

Rick:

You’ve got to go swimming to find out who is–

David:

If I charge you that you’ve done something, you have to go to the river. And if it turns out you can’t swim when you jump and you sink, then I must have been right because– and it continues.

Rick:

And you get the house.

David:

I get the house.

Rick:

Yeah.

You Better Hope I Can’t Swim

David:

But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, that is, if you can swim and you escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation should be put to death. So, I I’m the one that gets–

Rick:

You better hope I can’t swim.

David:

Yeah. That’s right. You better not swim. While he who leaped in the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser. Now, can we really fit that into our–

Rick:

I don’t think that’s going to work.

David:

I don’t recall any occasion with any American law where we had you go jump in the river. See, the problem with the Code of Hammurabi is it is so specific you cannot apply it today.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

Now, you take the Ten Commandments and look at the Ten Commandments. I think that thing about honoring father and mother still works. I think “Thou shall not kill” still works.

Rick:

Right. There’s not one of those that doesn’t work today.

David:

Every one of those still works today. And the reason is they’re not drawn on specifics – they’re drawn on principles. They take timeless principles because the nature of man doesn’t change and we still kill people, we still steal, we still perjure, we still disrespect parents, and that’s why it works. That’s the way the Constitution is.

Constitution Comedy

Hey, all your patriots out there that would like to see more Americans study the Constitution and understand the source of their freedom. How do you get people to pay attention to patriotism, the Constitution, the importance of being good citizens. Well, the answer is two words: Brad Stine. You make it fun, you make it fun to learn.

My friends, this is Rick Green from WallBuilders live, and Brad and I are bringing the comedy and constitution tour to you. We’re doing a live stream across the nation on March 23rd, 2019. Visit ConstitutionCoach.com, and you can sign up to bring this program to your church. You can stream it into your home or your local club. However you’d like to bring it. It’s an opportunity for you to bring the Comedy Constitution to your community, which will fire people up to study the Constitution. It’ll educate, entertain, equip, and inspire folks to accept protect and purposely pass the torch of freedom. Check it out today at ConstitutionCoach.com.

David:

The Founding Fathers didn’t give us all the specifics, they gave us these principles of jurisdiction, principles of *, and that’s why it still works more than two centuries later. That’s why it’ll still work two centuries from now if we know it, and save it, and pursue it.

Rick:

So, if they were thinking that way though, if they were thinking, “Okay, we’re going to put something in place here that needs to be timeless, that’s going to still work a hundred, two hundred, five hundred, years from now.” How did they get to that point and who were these guys to have that kind of foresight?

David:

We’ve already talked about how poor American education is today, but we’re going to pile on while we’ve got the chance. Because the perception in so many colleges and so many textbooks is these were a bunch of elitist. These guys, they were all landowners, and they were all wealthy, and they were– And somehow we think of the Founding Fathers as the demographic of being homogenous. They’re all the same kind, they’re all cut from same cloth–

Absolute Nonsense

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–they’re all really– and they just didn’t understand common people and what common people– that’s absolute nonsense.

And one of the ways that that’s easy for me to prove is I speak to a lot of law schools and universities and I can put up pictures of the Founding Fathers – here you got in the top right corner, these are the signers of the Constitution, thirty nine guys, and in the bottom left corner you’ve got the 56 guys that signed the Declaration.

Or actually, it’s got not quite the 56 because one of the things that happened to the Declaration, some of the guys like in Pennsylvania, their state said, “Vote for the Declaration.” They voted against it. Their state legislature jerked them out of there and replaced them with other guys.

Rick:

In the middle of what was going on.

David:

In the middle of what was going on. So, some of the guys that are there didn’t vote for the Declaration, but they got to sign it because they were replacements that would support independence. And there’s some other guys there who voted for the Declaration – like you get Robert Livingston, he voted for it. He’s on the committee that helped write it. He never got to sign it because his state called him home to take the lead of the entire judiciary in his state. So, he voted for it, he helped write it, he helped get us there, he just didn’t get to sign it.

Rick:

So, there’s a mix.

Just Taking The Ones Who Signed

David:

There’s a mix, but those are 56– 56 guys signed the Declaration. So, let’s just take the guys who signed the Declaration.

Rick:

Alright.

David:

Now, we’re going to– you’re going to be doing this class in Independence Hall and Independence Hall is where they signed the Declaration and the Constitution. And six of these guys who signed the Declaration made it over to the Constitution eventually. You’ve got, for example, Roger Sherman here, you’ve got Robert Morrison, and you’ve got James Wilson, and George Clymer, you’ve got six guys–

Rick:

They did both.

David:

Both. And more of these guys like Elbridge Gerry here, Elbridge Gerry right here, he didn’t sign the Constitution, but he was at the Constitutional Convention. He’s one of the guys who didn’t sign it because it didn’t have a Bill of Rights. So, you really have a bunch of these guys that were in this room for both documents–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–but not all signed. But the problem we have is when I throw this up at a major law school, really sharp kids, and I’ll say, “Who do you recognize?” Everybody can find Jefferson, everybody can find Franklin, and that’s where it stops. I go, “Wait a minute, 56 guys, give me some more.” They don’t know them. Number one, we’ve been taught to recognize our two least religious Founding Fathers.

Rick:

That’s true.

David:

So, we don’t know anything about the others.

Rick:

Those are the only two they really talk about in schools.

Across The Front Row

David:

Those are the only two they talk about in schools. So, we say, “How about– let me just take you across the front row.” How about Benjamin Harrison here, great general in the Revolution. Or let’s go here to Richard Henry Lee, the guy who actually made the proposal that we separate from Great Britain, he goes on to be one of the framers of the Bill of Rights. Or beside him you’ve got George Clinton and Sam Adams, the father of the Revolution.

Beside him you’ve got Charles Carroll of Carrollton, he’s from Maryland. Beside him you get Robert Morrison, Pennsylvania. You’ve got Benjamin Rush in Pennsylvania. Above that you’ve get Stephen Hopkins, Stephen Hopkins from Rhode Island. Beside him you’ve got William Williams. Then you come down here to Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. Beside him is Robert Treat Paine of Massachusetts.

You keep going – there’s James Wilson from Pennsylvania, and there’s Francis Hopkins, and these guys– we don’t have a–

Rick:

I was about to say I assume most of those names for folks that are watching this at home, totally new names. They’re not going to recognize any of them.

David:

But let me show you how these guys were really vicarious for all of us. You’ve got the wealthiest man in America right there, Charles Carroll. You’ve also got one of the poorest guys in America right there with Sam Adams–

Rick:

Right next to him.

It’s Really A Mix

David:

Sam Adams is so poor that when they elected him to Congress he didn’t even have a suit of clothes. His neighbors took up a collection for him to get a suit of clothes. He had to go borrow a horse to ride to Congress. So, you’ve got a really poor guy and a really wealthy guy. And then you’ve got a guy who’s a surveyor, Roger Sherman, and over here you’ve got Thomas Jefferson who is a farmer, and over here you’ve got one of the best scientists in American history who’s Ben Franklin.

Then you come back over here to this guy, Stephen Hopkins, who is a governor, the only colonial governor appointed by the British that supported separation. So, he’s a political figure. You get back over here to Benjamin Harrison, he’s a big time farmer. And you just go through – you’ve got John Witherspoon here who is the president of the university. You have John Hancock who is one of the most famous businessmen in America.

So, you’ve got businessmen–

Rick:

So, it’s really a mix of everything in the country.

David:

It’s everything.

Rick:

Every career, every–

David:

You’ve got rich, you’ve got poor. As a matter of fact, 29 of these guys out of the 56 had a college degree. So, nearly half them didn’t have a college degree. And–

Rick:

That was my next question was education because–

David:

Education.

Rick:

–they didn’t all have the best education.

Education And Family Background

David:

One fourth of these guys were home educated, several guys– this guy right here, Roger Sherman, the only guy to sign all four founding documents, completely self-taught. He never had any formal education.

Rick:

Wow. Wait, one fourth homeschooled. So, people who think homeschool– that’s not the way– one fourth of the guys who gave us our founding documents were homeschooled.

David:

One fourth homeschooled.

Rick:

That’s incredible.

David:

And about 25 percent of these guys were orphans. They grew up orphans or in single parent homes.

Rick:

No kidding.

David:

Yeah.

Rick:

When you have people that have challenges today. These guys had challenges. They didn’t have it easy.

David:

Well, you want to talk about not having it easy, let’s talk about the lifespan back then. The average lifespan in America today is up in the 80s. Average lifespan back then was thirty three years old.

Rick:

Wow. And these guys– some these guys were young.

Hardship And Principles

David:

Well, you take Sam Adams here. Let’s go back, take Sam Adams right here, Sam Adams had six kids – only two live to adulthood. Charles Carroll right here had seven kids. Only three made it to adulthood. The medical stuff back there–

Rick:

The dealt with tragedy the tragedy–

David:

The tragedy, the tough life that they had. It was hard stuff, but they understood the principles. And they got those principles and they wrote a document that didn’t reflect what was going on 200 years ago – it reflected human nature.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, it doesn’t say if your horse is going too fast in the town of Boston you’re going to get– it’s none of that kind of stuff like you have in the Code of Hammurabi. This is loaded up with principles. And one thing about these guys is they were patriots.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

They love their country. No question about it. And–

Rick:

What does that really mean? When you say they’re patriots, that’s a negative to some today and it’s a big positive to others. What’s it mean?

David:

Right. It’s– Benjamin Rush, I think, is the best guy to explain it.

Constitution Alive

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the United States Constitution but just felt like, man, the classes are boring or it’s just that old language from 200 years ago or I don’t know where to start? People want to know. But it gets frustrating because you don’t know where to look for truth about the Constitution either.

Well, we’ve got a special program for you available now called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. It’s actually a teaching done on the Constitution at Independence Hall in the very room where the Constitution was framed. We take you both to Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty and Independence Hall and to the WallBuilders’ library where David Barton brings the history to life to teach the original intent of our Founding Fathers.

We call it the QuickStart guide to the Constitution because in just a few hours through these videos you will learn the Citizen’s Guide to America’s Constitution. You’ll learn what you need to do to help save our Constitutional Republic. It’s fun! It’s entertaining! And it’s going to inspire you to do your part to preserve freedom for future generations. It’s called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. You can find out more information on our website now at WallBuilders.com.

David:

Benjamin Rush, John Adams said he’s one of the three most notable Founding Fathers. John Adams said there’s George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Benjamin Rush *–

Rick:

And there again a name that most people are not going to know, Benjamin Rush.

David:

Don’t have a clue. And they should because he is the top doctor in American history. Three thousand students got their medical diploma signed by him. He’s also the father of public schools under the Constitution. He also started five universities, three go today. He signed the Declaration, he ratified the Constitution, he served in three different president’s administrations, he’s the director of the U.S. Mint, he’s a huge * guy–

Rick:

How does one guy– I know he’s one of your favorite.

David:

He is.

Let Me Tell You What Patriotism Is

Rick:

You have a book on Benjamin Rush and his life.

David:

See, we have a lot of books by Benjamin Rush, this is one of the original books that we’ll talk about in a minute. But what he does is he says, “Let me tell you what patriotism is.” SO, this is what he’s teaching the rising generation. Because the Founding Fathers understood we’ve got the principles, but if our next generation doesn’t understand this–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–it’s not going to work.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, that’s why we put so much time in education.

Rick:

You’ve got to instill it in each generation.

David:

So, here’s his definition on patriotism. He says, “Patriotism is as much a virtue as is justice.” Now, who would be opposed to justice?

Rick:

Right.

David:

Nobody. He said that’s just as much a virtue as justice and it’s just as necessary for the support of signings as natural affection is for the support of families. Imagine trying to keep your family together if you didn’t have love in the family. He says, “Well, imagine trying to keep your country together if you don’t have love for your country.” You’ve got to have love for your family. You go to the deck for each other in the family. You’ve got to be willing to do that.

If You’re Not Patriotic You’re Selfish

David:

And he says, “Actually, if you’re not patriotic, you’re selfish.” And this is the way he explains it. He says, “The *, which is the love of country, the love your country is both a moral and a religious duty. It comprehends not only the love of our neighbors, but of millions of our fellow creatures. Not only the present, but of future generations.”

In other words, if you love your country, you’re saying, “I want what’s best for all my neighbors and I’m going to work my tail off to have a good country because I want my neighbors to be prosperous and safe. I don’t want thugs and criminals overrunning them. I want to make sure we’ve got good government, I want to make sure they can keep the money they earn, I want to make sure they’ve got a good education for their kids.”

And if I love my country I’m going to fight for those things–

Rick:

So, you’re not just thinking of yourself–

David:

Not just thinking–

Rick:

You’re thinking about the other people.

David:

Now, if it’s just me, I’ll just go off the grid somewhere. I’ll get out and just live my life the way I want t0. I’ll go right off the grid.

Constitution Alive – A Citizen Guide To The Constitution Part One

Rick:

Well, we’re out of time for today, folks. That was the beginning of Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. It’s actually available on DVD with a workbook and the whole set so you can have the class in your home with your family, in your Sunday school class, however you’d like to do it. Just get it in the hands of as many people as you can so they can study the Constitution and help us restore our Constitutional Republic.

We will pick up tomorrow right where we left off today with Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green.

WALLBUILDERS LIVE! with David Barton, Tim Barton and Rick Green is a daily journey into the past to capture the ideas of the Founding Fathers of America and then apply them to the major issues of today. Featured guests will include Congressmen, Senators, and other elected officials, as well as experts, activists, authors, and commentators on a variety of issues facing America.